Reducing risks and threats across landscapes

New Zealand is highly vulnerable to incursions of invasive pests, weeds and diseases. For example, the painted apple moth has threatened our productive and natural ecosystems. The disease PTA (Phytophthora taxon Agathis) is decimating kauri forests around Auckland and parts of Northland, and established weeds like broom and gorse are severely impacting our dryland environments.

Our objective is to reduce the rates of incursion or establishment by these foreign invaders.

Improved collaboration between researchers working in production and natural ecosystems will provide mutual benefits and deliver advanced new technologies and tools. Our goal is to ‘scale-up’ pre- and post-border incursion and control operations to improve the accuracy, cost-effectiveness and efficacy.